Water-wheel.



L nu 9 L p e. S d 8. .I n e .t a P m u o N.m AUL| TEu N HW nu m 'URB En .Tm www. H G w uv w. 1. 8 D 7 0. N

(No Model.)

Inventor- T/I/)Ln casss 1n: :imams Persns co. mums., mamme-ron, u. L

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. JOHNSTON, OF ST. JOSEPH, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF TWENTY- SEVEN ONE-HUNDRED-AND-FORTIETHS TO HORACE F. WHITEFORD, OF ST. JOSEPH, MISSOURI, AND CHARLES J. HUNT, OF DELOIT, IOWA.

WATER-WH EEL.

.SPECIFlCATION forming partof Letters Patent No.'708,715, dated September 9, 1902. Application led December 12, 1901. Serial No. 85,638. (No model.)

To @ZZ whoml it may concern: f Similarletters refer to similar parts through- Be it known that I, GEORGE W. JOHNSTON, out the several views. a citizen of the United States, residing at St. In the drawings, A A represent two timbers Joseph, in the county of Buchanan and State for connecting with the bank, broken away at 5 of Missouri, have invented certain new and the shore endsand supported by a pile A. 55

useful Improvements in Water-Wheels; and B `B are bearings, and B' a casting bolted I do declare the following to be a full, clear, to the timbers.

and exact description of the invention, lsuch Ois a bevel-gear, and C the drive-shaft as will enable others skilled in the art to which (shown broken away) for transmitting power 1o it appertainstomake and use the same, refto a plant. Y 60 erence beinghad to the accompanying draw- D is the worm-gear, and D the wheel and ings, and to the letters ofreference marked shaft for operating the same.

thereon, which form a part of this speciflca- E represents a pile driven into the bed of tion. a stream and provided with an iron socket E',"

I5 My invention is designed to utilize the warigidly set in its top end, as shown by dotted 65 ters of natural or artificial streams by a wheel lines in Fig. 2. and attached mechanism so constructed that F is an iron shaft having its bottom end it will offer the least possible resistance tapered to a form adapted to operate in against the stream, yet possess the largest desocket E', which shaft end is also shown by 2o gree of power and speed, that will make it dotted lines in Fig. 2. Its top end revolves 7o possible to dispense with the usual framein bearing B. work and masonry and render the wheel less H is a hub on shaft F. This hub is proliable to become entangled by floating logs or vided with sockets H' H', which sockets carry other iloodwood or debris, and that will perarms I I. These arms carry folding leaves 25 mit the wheel to be readily'submerged to any Il I'. I construct `my device with at least 75 depth desired. three sets of arms, as shown, each set con- In the drawings, Figure l is a top View of sisting of at least sixarms andI each arm the shaft, hub, hub-sockets, arms, folding carrying two leaves. These leaves are of corleaves, `and hinges. o Fig. 2 is a perspective responding size, but the bottom sets are prefl 3o of the mechanism for raising and lowering erably made of heavy material, the top sets 8o the wheel and forming connection with the of light material, and the middle sets of an bank of the stream and showing the wheel intermediate weight, thus economizing masunk to the preferable depth, the lineinterial, as the lighter weight will serve at dicating the surface of the water. Fig. 3'is the upper part of the hub as well as the 35 a detail of the raising and lowering gear, the heavier. On account of the force of the water 85 shaft, and the hub broken away into two in the bottom of the stream being greater pieces, the clutch-teeth and one set of arms than the force thereof atV the surface of the broken away, the collar, the set-screws, the water and at intermediate points it will be keys, and a keyway. Fig. 4 is an end view readily seen that itis desirable to vary the 4o of an arm, hinge, and the attached leaves weight of the leaves in proportion to the alti- 9o spread in position to receive the current of tude which they occupy on the hub, and I thestream. Fig. 5isasideviewofthehinges, Vreserve to myself the right to regulate the arm, and clamp, showing the leaves spread number of arms and leaves by the depth of the out, but partly broken away,.to receive the water. These folding leaves are constructed 45 force of the stream. Fig. 6 isan end View of with a height of two feet and width` of six 95 an arm and hinge with the attached leaves feet, or about that proportion. By constructfoldedtogether iis. their normal position, and ing my device with narrow but high leaves Fig. 7 is a detail nd view of an arm with the and providing it with six instead of two sets hinges removed ard showing a clamp thereon of arms and leaves I am enabled to materi- 5o held in position bg' bolts or screws. ally reduce the weight of each arm and leaf, roo

gain power and speed, and largely obviate the danger incident to leaves carried by arms projecting a long distance fromthe shaft into the stream. These folding leaves are connected with the radially-projecting arms I I by means of hinges .I J. The arms are provided with depressions or notches i Each pair of hinges is provided with a clamp J', which is fitted into depressions t '1l and the two parts of which are held firmly on the arm by means of bolts or screws cl d. Each clamp is provided with two lugs jj, which receive the back of the hinge-straps when the leaves are spread out, thus assisting in preventing absolutely the leaves being pressed back beyond a vertical position and also holding the leaves in that position until each pair of leaves has fulfilled its function and are folded together automatically by the current as they pass around to be again spread out vertically by the force of the stream. Short projection b on each clamp prevents the folded leaves passing their respective centers. A collar K fits loosely around hub I-I below a Iiange h at the top thereof, and it is held in position by a rod 7s, which forms verticallymovable connection with pile A. Cables L L, forming connection between loops Z Z on said collar and the worm-gear, serve in raising and lowering the hub, arms, and leaves. Shaft F and hub H are provided with keyways O O and keys O' O', said keyways and keys extending up to a line slightly below the clutch-teeth. The lower part of the hub Q is made separate and held stationary on the shaft at the desired depth by means of set-screws P P, the parts being provided at point of separation with clutch-teeth t t. Said set-screws P P are supplemental. Either said keys or said screws or said keys and screws may be used in manipulating the device. A cap R, rigidly fastened at the bottom of shaft F, is adapted to close socket E from the entrance of sand or other impediment. By turning wheel D in the proper direction for winding cables L L that portion of the hub which carries the arms and leaves will be lifted, thereby parting the hub at the clutch. This will result in the motion of the shaft being stopped. By reversing wheel D', unwinding the cables, the hub will be lowered into clutch connection, thereby starting the shaft and setting the gear in motion and permitting the transmissal of power to the point desired.

My device can be readily placed on a barge anchored and operated in the channel of a stream and used for pumping sand or water generating an electric current, or similar Work.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a wheel for utilizing the current of a stream, its supporting pile and socket, the shaft and its bearings, the hub and its radially-proj ectin g sets of sockets, the arms carried by said hub-sockets, the duplicate leaves hinged to each arm and the clamps and lugs to supportsaid leaves when spread out against the current of the stream, substantially as described and for the purposes setY forth.

2. In a water-wheel ashaftset vertically, a hub adapted to revolve on said shaft and provided with arms'and leaves, the adjustable lower part of said hub having clutch connection therewith, and adapted to be rigidly fastened to said shaft and tosupport the upper part of the hub, the collar on thehub and the cables forming connection between said collar and the gear and adapted to raise the hub out of clutch connection thereby stopping the revolutions of the shaft, or to'lower the hub into clutch connection thereby setting the mechanism in motion, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a water-wheel of the hinges upon an arm each having its strap rigidly attached to the back of the leaf, the depressions in the arm, the clamps the two parts of each of which it into said depressions, the lugs on said clamps extending horizontally in opposite directions across the backs of the hinge-straps and leaves preventing the leaves being crowded back of their respective centers by the pressure of the current of the stream, substantially as described and for the purpose specified.

4,. In a wheel for utilizing the power in the current of a stream, the vertically-set shaft adapted to revolve in the piling or support thereunder, the hub carried on said shaft, the iiange at the top of said hub and the loosely-fitted collar `thereunder adapted to serve in lowering and hoisting the hub, the rod attached to said collar and adapted to form connection with the shore-piling, together with the cable connection between the collar and the gearing, substantially as described and for the purpose specified.

5. The combination with the shaft and hub and lower member of said hub of a waterwheel, of triple sets of arms and leaves the sets being arranged vertically one above another with leaves of heaviest weight in the bottom set and lightest weight in the top set, substantially as described.

G. In a wheel for utilizing the power of the current of a stream the combination with the shaft and its hub, of the lower member of said hub, of the clutch connection between said hub and its lower member, of the keyways and keys below such clutch connection for attaching said lower part of the hub immovably to the shaft at the depth of water desired, of the set-screws to aid therein, substantially as described and for the purpose specified.

7. In a water-wheel the combination with the arms provided with depressions and the leaves and the hinges attached thereto, of the clamps adapted to fit ,into said depressions iu the arms, the lugson said clamps to prevent the leaves passing back of their respective centers and the projections on said IOO IIO

clamps to prevent said leaves passing forlI socket in said piling and the cap at the bot- Ward of their centers or coming into actual contact, substantially as described.

8. The combination in a Water-Wheel of the upper bearing, cables and gearing for the purpose set forth, and pile E, With the vertical shaft, the hub thereon and its horizontally-projecting arms and sets of leaves of differing Weights set vertically above each other, the lower member of lthe hub adapted to form clutch connection with said hub, the

l tom of the shaft to prevent the filling of the socket set with sand, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I ax my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

GEORGE W. JOHNSTON.

Witnesses OSWALD M. GILMER, EMMA HECKEL. 

